They met in 9th grade and now, 14 years later, are soon-to-be-wed. We are honored to have designed their rings and are so excited to share their tale. Read on for the ultimate high school sweethearts story, starring Jessica and Austin!
Names: Jessica Plotkin & Austin Kay
Current location: Scottsdale, AZ
Meeting date + location: Long Island, NY – 2008
Wedding date + location: March 11, 2022 – Scottsdale, AZ
How did you lovebirds meet?
9th grade earth science class!
The proposal – please tell us the story!
With all of the changes COVID brought, Austin and I decided it was best to move from Santa Monica to Scottsdale to be closer to family. We set a moving date of December 30, and with all of our holiday plans, the weekend before Thanksgiving was likely the last full weekend we’d have together in Santa Monica. To celebrate, Austin said we should watch the sunset in Malibu and get dinner at one of our favorite spots, Moonshadows, afterward. This didn’t seem out of the ordinary by any means, so I went with it. (Funny story: Austin said that we should have champagne at sunset. I told him to “put the bottle of Veuve on ice” and with that, he put the bottle of champagne in the freezer and forgot about it until we were about to leave. I told him not to worry about it and said I’m fine with vodka. He looked at me with fear and ran to our local Vons to grab a new bottle of Veuve. Now I realize the last thing he wanted was for me to have a few vodka sodas before our proposal!!) Austin pulled off the perfect surprise sunset proposal at Point Dume on 11/20/20.
When did you know that your significant other was the one?
Jess: Immediately – 9th grade. I swear I told a classmate I was going to marry him. Austin wasn’t so sure about it then!
Austin: Senior year of high school (Jess note: See, I told you it took longer…)
Jessica and Austin at Prom, 2011
What is your favorite thing about your significant other?
Jess: He balances me. He’s literally the calm to my storm. Austin is such a go-with-the-flow kind of person and genuinely always has a smile on his face.
Austin: She makes me a better person. She is extremely loving and caring. She is always looking out for my best interest.
What has COVID taught you about each other/relationships? Did you learn anything about your SO?
We’d be lying if we said COVID didn’t put a strain on our relationship at times – working and living together in a 500 sq. ft. apartment with a new puppy can do that to you. But we got engaged during the middle of a quarantine, so that should say something!
Do you have any notable stories that have stood out over the years – hilarious, sentimental, anything!
Jess: I decided to shoot my shot with Austin after getting his number from a mutual friend. “Hi it’s Jess from earth science :)” was the text. After not getting a response for a day, I sent the exact same message again. He did end up responding, but how embarrassing!?
What’s your go-to date night idea?
Drinks and dinner at a new local restaurant. But we always try to sit at the bar – that’s where the fun people are!
Jessica’s custom Annika engagement ring
Let’s talk jewels – how did you choose this ring?! Who took the reigns on designing your ring? Do you looove? Give us all the deets.
Jess: Austin picked everything! I had absolutely no idea this was going on. It is my dream ring x a million.
Austin: I always knew what I wanted to get her, but I wanted it to be a complete surprise. I love the simplicity of the Annika, but I knew I wanted to wow her with the diamond. I was constantly in communication with Sofia and Karina throughout the entire process.
How is wedding planning going? What are you most excited about for your wedding?
We’re almost done! Just about 40 days away. Wedding planning during COVID has been difficult, but we can’t wait for our weekend! We have three days of events planned. We’re most excited about having our families and friends together in one room. It means the world to us that they would travel from New York to Arizona, especially during such a crazy time.
Alright – so what does the future hold for the two of you?! Where do you see yourselves in 10 years? 20?
We just bought land and are building our very first home together! We should be moved in within a year or so. Hopefully, we’ll raise our kids here for a while and then eventually make our way back to California – that’s always been our dream!
Finally, if you could add any piece to your SKFJ collection, which one would it be?
Jess’s dream wedding band is in the works right now! It’s a custom ring that Sofia designed with us, and we cannot wait to see it come to life. Austin will also be wearing a SKFJ band – the Raw Textured Band in matte white gold. He’s had his eye on that one since we got engaged.
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